What does EXP stand for on guitar effect pedal control knob?

Question

What does the label "exp" stand for on a guitar effect pedal? Example: there is a delay/reverb pedal with various controls - rate, repeat, tone, etc. One of the knobs is labelled "exp." Thanks for any response, Jeff

Answer 1

In guitar pedal lingo - "EXP" usually means expression as in "expression pedal" which can be used to control effects such as a wha wha but are also used by guitarist to facilitate real time control of almost any variable such as volume, tone, echo repeats, delay time and many other variables.

If your pedal has a control knob labeled "EXP" then most likely it also has an expression pedal input to allow the use of an expression pedal to control some of the parameters in a live music setting while using both hands to play the guitar.

For example the EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche Run Stereo Delay and Reverb Pedal has a knob that allows you to specify which of the parameters you want to control with an expression pedal. The knob is labeled EXP on this pedal.

With this particular delay/reverb pedal the EXP control knob would be used if you plugged an expression pedal into the input on the side (also labeled EXP). Then the knob would allow you to select the specific parameter (decay, delay time, repeats, etc).

If your pedal also has an input for a separate expression pedal, I am sure the EXP control knob is there to work in conjunction with your separate expression pedal.